Michael Jordan watches the Cook Out Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway.
Motorsports
5 Tough Takeaways from Week One of the NASCAR Trial
This lawsuit against NASCAR is serious stuff: It could dramatically change the 77-year-old sport, which is exactly what the plaintiffs in the suit are asking for.
We learned that much after week one of testimony, which wrapped up on Friday. Today, we began week two, which was supposed to be the final one, but things are moving at a snail’s pace, much to the dismay of presiding Judge Kenneth Bell. He wanted it done by the end of this week, but it seems likely to drag on, potentially past Christmas.
Bell does not want the jury to have to deliberate over Christmas, and likely neither do the jurors, so we could have a very quick decision if indeed the trial enters a third week. The trial resumed today, with testimony from an economist, and from the head of the Race Team Alliance, who testified that some teams may be interested in buying NASCAR if it is broken up by the court. To come this week as the plaintiffs conclude their presentation: NASCAR head Jim France, NASCAR commissioner Steve Phelps, and longtime team owner Richard Childress. More about him in a moment. Once those three have testified, it’s NASCAR’s turn, and they have 16 witnesses listed. Judge Bell is not a happy man.
There is no telling what the combined legal bill will be: One account said both sides have eight lawyers apiece clustered around the respective tables.
First, the lawsuit in a nutshell: As you’d likely suspect, it’s about money. Two NASCAR teams are suing NASCAR and its CEO, chairman and executive vice-president, Jim France. The two teams are 23X1 (pronounced twenty-three eleven), owned by NASCAR driver Denny Hamlin, NBA legend Michael Jordan, and Jordan’s financial agent of 35 years, Curtis Polk; and Front Row Motorsports, owned by Bob Jenkins, who reportedly owns about 250 fast-food franchises, including the likes of Taco Bell, KFC, Long John Silver’s, and A&W.
23X1’s three drivers are Bubba Wallace, Tyler Reddick, and Riley Herbst (owner-driver Denny Hamlin still competes for Joe Gibbs Racing). Front Row’s three NASCAR Cup drivers are Zane Smith, Noah Gragson, and Todd Gilliland.
The 23IX and Front Row teams insist that given NASCAR’s current business model, it is difficult, if not impossible, to make money.
The suit claims that NASCAR is a monopoly (which the court has already confirmed), possibly in violation of the Sherman Antitrust Act of 1890. The two teams also do not like the current charter agreement, which runs through 2031, and must be renewed by NASCAR every seven years. 23XI and Front Row refused to sign that charter agreement last year, though all the other teams did sign. Those two teams want the charters to be awarded permanently, and not be subject to renewal.
The 36 charters, which were awarded to NASCAR’s top teams for free in 2016, were designed to give the teams some equity that would grow in value over the years (big teams have more than one charter, up to four). The charter also guarantees those teams a set minimum income from NASCAR, but most importantly, guarantees that a chartered driver doesn’t have to qualify his or her way into the field—they get a guaranteed starting spot, allowing teams to sell sponsorship based on making every race. There are 36 chartered drivers in the field of 40 cars, with four spots held for “open” teams that don’t have charters, and must qualify their way into the race, assuming that there are more than four open teams that want to race (which lately happens with big races, like the Daytona 500).
The charters, which can be bought and sold, with the selling team keeping the money, have grown in value to about $40 million currently. If a brand-new team wants to enter NASCAR at a high level, it would have to buy a charter from a team that is either downsizing or leaving the sport. And if a team has, say, two charters and wants three so they can add a new driver, they’d also be customers for another team’s charter.
The suit also wants NASCAR to pay the teams more money from the current seven-year, $7.7 billion broadcast contract. There’s more, but you get the gist.
This first week of the 23XI and Front Row vs. NASCAR and Jim France had plenty of moments that ranged from outrageous to amusing to just bizarre. Here are some highlights:
Texts NASCAR and the teams wish they could take back.
In discovery, both sides had to supply hitherto private communications that were beyond embarrassing—they possibly mean the end of friendships, and damage to professional relationships that are beyond repair, and could even put careers into question. The most remarkable ones were from Steve Phelps, NASCAR commissioner, and Steve O’Donnell, NASCAR president.
Certainly, the most damaging one comes from Phelps, and involves his reaction to a meeting with NASCAR, and a radio interview done by former driver and current team owner Richard Childress, whose Richard Childress Racing dates back to 1969, and for whom Dale Earnhardt raced for the balance of his career.
“Total ass-clown,” Phelps texted another NASCAR executive. “Childress is an idiot. If they don’t like the state of the sport, sell your charter and get out.”
And, “If he’s that angry (and apparently he is) sign your charter extension and sell. He’s not smart, is a dinosaur, and a malcontent. He’s worth a couple hundred million dollars—every dollar associated with NASCAR in some fashion.”
And the worst of all: “Childress needs to be taken out back and flogged. He’s a stupid redneck who owes his entire fortune to NASCAR.” Late last week, Childress, 80, said he is considering legal action over the texts.
O’Donnell, commenting on a charter proposal that he believed would send the sport backwards: “(Expletive) the teams, dictatorship, motorsport, redneck, southern, tiny sport.”
And on the other side of the aisle, Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin and another company executive likely wish they hadn’t sent some texts about NASCAR bosses, and fellow team owners. Steve Lauletta, 23IX president, texted what it might take for teams to get more favorable charter deals: “Jim dying is probably the answer.” He’s referring to Jim France, the 81-year-old head of NASCAR, and the son of “Big Bill” France, who founded NASCAR in 1948. To that, Hamlin replied, “My despise for the France family runs deep.”
Jordan’s texts were also scrutinized, with one standing out from the others. To quote CBS Sports: “Jordan was shown to have called Joe Gibbs Racing ‘f—ers’ for signing the charter agreement, while referring to others who agreed to NASCAR’s terms as ‘p—–s’ in a September 2024 text with business partner Curtis Polk.”
Paranoia? To say the least.
In 2021, three-time NASCAR Cup champion Tony Stewart and former Cup crew chief and team owner Ray Evernham, who led driver Jeff Gordon to three championships, partnered to create Superstar Racing Experience (SRX). The series was modeled after the long-gone International Race of Champions (IROC) that gave Evernham one of his first jobs in the sport. SRX, like IROC, would put drivers from various racing series in identical cars, such as having NASCAR stars race against IndyCar stars and IMSA sports car stars.
Unlike IROC, though, SRX would be run as a made-for-TV series, airing Saturday nights on CBS for six weeks, beginning in June of 2021 and 2022. For the third and final season, the racing was on ESPN, on Thursday nights. Evernham designed the cars, which were capable of running on both asphalt or dirt tracks, while Stewart raced in the series and was the face of SRX. The series competed on short dirt or paved ovals that did not host NASCAR races, such as the Stewart-owned Eldora Speedway, Berlin Raceway, Five Flags Speedway, Knoxville Raceway, and South Boston Speedway.
In the three six-race seasons, 46 drivers competed, seven of them active NASCAR Cup drivers—the rest ranged from late-model legends like Scott Bloomquist and Bubba Pollard, drag racers like Ron Capps and Antron Brown, IndyCar drivers like Helio Castroneves and Josef Newgarden, and sports-car drivers like Willy T. Ribbs and Ernie Francis, Jr.
I watched the SRX races and attended the season finale at the Nashville Fairgrounds in 2021. SRX was a fun series, but by the third season, it was sagging; Evernham left, and Stewart seemed bored.
But still, somehow, NASCAR executives Phelps and O’Donnell saw SRX as an immediate threat that needed to be extinguished. Why? Because it kind of looked like NASCAR (it didn’t), and drivers like Chase Elliott and Denny Hamlin decided to participate periodically.
O’Donnell sent a text to Phelps that said: “Enough. We need legal to take a shot at this.”
Phelps said, “These guys are just plain stupid. Need to put a knife in this trash series.”
O’Donnell later texted: “Thisnis [sic] exhibit ‘a’ that nobody gives a s— about what got them their careers. Pay ‘em some money and they are all in… Lots to get our arms around but sadly any ‘goodwill’ seems to be lost. So smiles all around but behind the scenes we scheme and we win.”
Phelps: “The SRX thing is just baffling to me. Why don’t they get it – oh, they do get it and it’s a huge FU to us.”
NASCAR, though, has no problem with its stars appearing in a variety of other series and races, ranging from the CARS Tour to today’s Snowball Derby at Five Flags Speedway in Pensacola, Florida, which NASCAR helped publicize. As for SRX, it died a natural death; all 18 cars and the equipment were acquired last September by GMS Race Cars, which will use them mostly for track days and specialty events.
Everybody’s scared of Curtis Polk
As we’ve mentioned, Curtis Polk, 66, is Michael Jordan’s agent, business partner, and financial guru. His only real experience with motorsports was racing slot cars as a kid, but when Jordan and Hamlin decided to start 23IX, Polk spearheaded the investment, aiming that spear right at NASCAR.
Steve O’Donnell said that Polk, in charter negotiations, was responsible for “the most difficult meetings I’ve had with an individual in my 30 years in NASCAR.” Polk, he said, “did not have an appreciation for the sport. He was a businessman who said he could leave anytime. He threatened to kick me out of my own meeting; (I) knew he wasn’t coming from a place of respect.”
Heather Gibbs deliberately tugs at our heartstrings
Joe Gibbs had been a very successful NFL coach, and in 1992, he wanted to try something new. Along with his two sons, J.D. and Coy, he founded Joe Gibbs Racing, competing in NASCAR, plus stints in NHRA drag racing and motocross. At 85, Coach Gibbs is arguably the most beloved, most admired man in the sport.
Likely some of this will be familiar to you: J.D. Gibbs died in 2019, at age 49, after a rough four-year battle with a degenerative neurological disease. He had been president of JGR, running the day-to-day operation. Coy then assumed more duties at JGR where he was chief operating officer, and was responsible for the successful AMA motocross program.
On November 6, 2022, Coy’s son, current JGR NASCAR Cup driver Ty Gibbs, won the NASCAR Xfinity series championship at Phoenix Raceway. The family celebrated, after which Coy, also 49, and wife Heather went to bed.
The next morning, Heather said last week as part of her testimony, “My husband didn’t wake up.” The cause of his death has not been revealed.
But the tragedy made Heather Gibbs a part-owner of Joe Gibbs Racing, and she moved from her job as a real estate agent to an executive role at JGR: Her LinkedIn profile doesn’t list a title beyond saying she is a co-owner of JGR, providing “strategic advice and support to the entire management team.”
By all accounts, her testimony on Friday was the most impactful of the week, including Michael Jordan’s time on the witness stand.
She testified about a letter she wrote to NASCAR management after Steve Phelps characterized team spending as “reckless,” and a main reason why Cup teams find it hard to turn a profit. It was an extremely well-written letter, not surprising since she has a journalism degree. “The primary issue for the teams is that there is not enough revenue shared to keep the doors open. Sadly, 11 teams have closed since 2016… Please understand that when you say no to permanent charters, you are disregarding 32 years of dedication and commitment that Joe Gibbs Racing has given to your family.”
It was emotional testimony, and she hit every talking point when she spoke about why JGR signed the latest charter agreement against everyone’s better judgment. The final draft arrived late, and they were given a very short deadline to sign it. “Everything’s going so fast,” she said.
“That’s the legacy of Coy. That’s the legacy of J.D. If we don’t take the payout they are offering, we can’t keep going… It’s like you have a gun to your head. If you don’t sign it, everything is gone.”
Heather said Joe Gibbs called Jim France. She said Coach Gibbs pleaded with France, saying, “Don’t do this to us.”
France allegedly responded that he didn’t care how many of the 36 existing charters were renewed: “If I wake up and I have 20 charters, I have 20. If I have 30, I have 30.”
Yes, her testimony may not contribute a lot to the lawsuit’s technical points, but remember: This is a jury trial, and almost certainly—after a week of brash, contentious back-and-forth—it resonated with the jury.
What is it Albert Einstein said about people doing the same thing over and over, and expecting different results?
Bob Jenkins, sole owner of Front Row Motorsports since 2005, did not paint a particularly sympathetic self-portrait during his time on the stand. Front Row is a plucky, low-budget team that sometimes punches above its weight, especially on the bigger tracks. Drivers have been typically talented, but never superstars, with some bringing sponsorship or cash to drive one of Front Row’s cars. The team’s proudest moment was when Michael McDowell steered around a last-lap crash to win the 2021 Daytona 500.
He testified that his team was “very hurt” by NASCAR’s delivery of the 112-page charter agreement at 6 p.m. one night, along with the demand that it be signed by midnight. “Not a single owner said, ‘I was happy to sign it.’ Not a single one.” Still, 13 of the 15 team owners signed it.
That said, Jenkins testified that he has lost $100 million since he assumed full control of Front Row, which long predates the charter system. He has never turned a profit, and loses an average of $6.8 million per year.
So why does he insist on running a NASCAR team? “That sounds like something my wife would say,” Jenkins said.
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Dec. 10, 2025, 9:30 a.m. ET
Anthony Alfredo has landed a new ride for 2026. Last week, Viking Motorsports announced that Alfredo will drive the No. 96 car full-time for the organization during the 2026 NASCAR O’Reilly Series season. The former Young’s Motorsports driver’s addition creates a two-driver lineup for Viking Motorsports with Parker Retzlaff in the No. 99 car.
In 2025, Alfredo finished the season with one top-10 finish, a 24.1 average finishing position, and a 24th-place finish in the point standings. Alfredo improved as the 2025 NASCAR season progressed, but he decided to pursue an opportunity outside Young’s Motorsports for next year.
Viking Motorsports has an excellent two-driver lineup with Retzlaff and Alfredo, two competitors who have excelled in mid-field equipment throughout their O’Reilly Series careers. Now, both drivers have a fantastic opportunity with Viking Motorsports, and the organization hopes to improve even more in 2026.
Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing filed a lawsuit in Marion County, Ind., on Monday against companies associated with 5-hour ENERGY, former sponsor of the No. 30 RLL IndyCar Series entry driven by Pietro Fittipaldi in 2024.
RLL’s “Complaint and Demand for Jury” seeks unspecified damages from Bridge Media Networks, LLC (“BMN”); Innovation Ventures, LLC (“IV”); Living Essentials, LLC; and International IP Holdings, LLC, relating to the motorsports sponsorship agreement (MSA) executed between the team and cadre of 5-hour-related companies.
The heavily redacted filing impedes the ability to identify the finer details of the complaint, but the available text paints a picture of RLL expecting to receive some form of monetary value or income from BMN/IV through a television channel owned by BMN/IV.
“In accord with the purported contract and the parties’ commercial dealings, RLL placed Defendants’ brand, Five Hour Energy, prominently on RLL’s race car,” the complaint says. “In exchange, BMN and IV agreed to [REDACTED]. By signing the Original MSA, BMN and IV represented that [REDACTED]. In reality, they [REDACTED]. All Defendants knew [REDACTED] before the execution of the Original MSA. All Defendants concealed the fact that [REDACTED] before the execution of the Original MSA.”
Whether it was through the selling of ads on the channel or another income-generating mechanism attached to the channel that delivered funding to RLL, the complaint appears to allege payment for 5-hour ENERGY’s presence on No. 30 Honda through the channel did not happen in some capacity due to the channel being shuttered.
“On the morning of August 2, 2024, the referenced broadcast television stations and networks upon which RLL was to [REDACTED] ‘shut down,’ with executives ‘stating that nobody was watching the channels,’” the complaint says, citing statements made in public interviews by the defendants.
“These networks ‘abruptly laid off [their] entire staff of 80 workers and shut down.’ A few days later, the streaming services for these networks were removed. The shutdown was permanent.”
Unredacted passages in the complaint suggest RLL believes its MSA with BMN/IV was completed while BMN/IV were allegedly planning to cease operations with the television channel which, in theory, would have jeopardized the ability for the MSA to be honored.
“The founder of 5-hour ENERGY had acquired the broadcast networks in 2022, and he subsequently launched a sports television news network,” the complaint continues. “He knew, and all Defendants knew, at all material times, that the television stations and broadcast networks were failing. Indeed, he stated, upon shutting down the companies in or around August 2024: ‘A lack of dedicated audience was the reason for the ceasing of operations…. We believed people would want to watch a clean, non-bias[ed] news network, but we were wrong…. Without a large audience, we just couldn’t continue to lose money….[W]e just couldn’t continue.’
“The founder shut down the broadcast networks ‘in an unusual way, immediately pulling the plug rather than publicly seeking a buyer or investors.’ He did this with full knowledge and approval of all Defendants.”
An amended MSA was executed that extended the contract from the end of 2024 to the end of 2025, which is referenced more than once, and specifically in the closing request titled ‘Breach of Contract.’
Among the various requests made in the complaint, the closing passages reinforce RLL’s belief that BMN/IV acted improperly to the point of breaching the MSA and that RLL is owned something BMN/IV has not delivered.
“The Original MSA and/or the Amended MSA, together or separately, constitute a valid, binding, and enforceable contract,” the complaint states. “RLL has performed its part of the contract. BMN and IV have breached the MSA in the manner described. RLL has been damaged by BMN and IV’s breach. RLL has had to resort to this litigation to enforce the MSA. RLL has incurred reasonable attorneys’ fees and costs in doing so.”
RLL alleges “BMN and IV engaged in: evasion of the spirit of the bargain, lack of diligence and slacking off, willful rendering of imperfect performance, abuse of a power to specify terms, and interference with or failure to cooperate in the other party’s performance,” and asks the court to “enter judgment in favor of Plaintiff and against Defendants. Award compensatory damages to Plaintiff. Award restitution to Plaintiff. Require Defendants to disgorge their unjust gains. Award attorneys’ fees and costs to Plaintiff. Award interest to Plaintiff. Award all other just and proper relief.”
RLL also asks the court to either enforce the MSAs and compel BMN/IV to provide whatever damages it is seeking, or to invalidate the contracts, which could be a tactic to pursue the alleged damages through a different legal strategy.
Reached by RACER, an RLL spokesperson said, “We do not comment on pending litigation.”
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The first person the jurors likely see as they walk to their seats each day in the biggest NASCAR trial ever is Michael Jordan.
They haven’t just seen him. They have heard from the basketball icon and many others on the team side in the first seven days of the 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports antitrust trial against NASCAR.
So, who is winning?
First a caveat: Having covered NASCAR for more than 30 years, I know a lot about the inner workings of the sport. Therefore, it is impossible for me to view anything through the lens of someone who doesn’t have this knowledge. When I look at the people in the sport who I’ve known for several years, their mannerisms and persona seem normal to me. But how would someone that’s meeting or seeing these people for the first time perceive them? It’s difficult to know.
That being said, so far, the teams likely have the edge. This would be expected since NASCAR hasn’t gotten to present witnesses that could be more favorable to its side. That should start Wednesday after NASCAR CEO and Chairman Jim France finishes his testimony and 23XI and FRM rest their case.
It can’t hurt to have Jordan sitting in the front row each day. But the jury, while seemingly a little more perked up when Jordan testified Friday on behalf of his race team, didn’t appear too starstruck. And Jordan received mostly softball questions from NASCAR attorney Lawrence Buterman.
That’s nothing against Buterman. Winning an argument with Jordan in North Carolina would be tougher than trying to gain several spots on a green-white-checkered without fresh tires.
Jordan was smooth and appeared comfortable and confident while on the stand. The same has been true for most of the 23XI and FRM ownership, while the four NASCAR executives have appeared less comfortable, more evasive and on the defensive.
The final witness for 23XI and FRM is the 81-year-old France, a soft-spoken introvert and a man of few words. NASCAR recently had a valuation of $5 billion, and France’s family trust owns 54 percent of the league (his niece, Lesa, has a family trust that owns 46 percent).
France is coming off as a CEO who won’t give many details. As the person who has been described as the “brick wall” in the teams’ quest for permanent charters, he almost appears to be a brick wall as the team attorneys dig for information.
Is he being evasive as part of a strategy? As someone who rarely speaks at news conferences or on a stage, is he just uncomfortable in the witness chair? Or maybe it’s that he’s more of someone who delegates and he’s more accustomed to people putting his vision into action.
He isn’t coming off as mean-spirited. He’s coming off as the grandfather who is still ruling the family business no matter what the kids want.
The kids have shown more emotion and deeper knowledge, but it is apparent that he is the leader who typically gets his way and doesn’t need a bold persona (at least outside any internal meeting room) to get it done. He has done nothing on the stand to change the perception that he owns the series and what he says goes. He will break on some issues, bend on others and put his foot down when he feels he is right — no matter what anyone else thinks, whether it’s his friends or not.
Business is business and you don’t build a company worth $5 billion by letting someone tell you what to do. And he’s heard that from pretty much every witness on the stand, including seeing the critical texts and emails from people who work for him. It has made the NASCAR executives who have testified appear to squirm.
That likely won’t help NASCAR’s case.
Denny Hamlin and 23XI are hoping to win the antitrust trial against NASCAR.
The team owners Denny Hamlin, Michael Jordan and Bob Jenkins came off as likable, as did Joe Gibbs Racing co-owner Heather Gibbs. It was hard to tell how Richard Childress, who got flustered when NASCAR attorneys brought up a potential sale of his team, played with the jury.
The team economist, Edward Snyder, used a presentation that will be understandable for those whose minds work in a mathematical way. It likely confused others despite its step-by-step explanation.
And on the flip side, NASCAR’s attorneys are doing a relatively good job in finding any hole they can in the 23XI and FRM side. They have shown enough inconsistencies and contradictions — certainly some points being stronger than others (it is simple to wonder why spend so much money in a business that is so unfair) — to make jurors think.
The one thing that might actually help them is the judge has ruled they are already a monopoly. The jurors just have to figure out if NASCAR’s monopoly has been sustained by anticompetitive acts.
It would be a lot easier case if there was a failed team also suing but there isn’t. The teams’ economist could only look at NASCAR documents and actions and try to tie them together. It isn’t like 23XI and FRM have tried to form a separate series and there will be no witnesses from non-NASCAR racetracks who will claim they have been stifled by NASCAR policies.
NASCAR has been able to challenge the validity of the teams’ claims or whether they are exaggerating any financials or whether NASCAR’s actions truly were a response to being worried about competition.
Will it be enough? Right now the case seems to weigh toward 23XI and FRM. All they need is the weight of the evidence in their favor (compared to a criminal trial with a beyond a reasonable doubt standard).
If the jury decides that NASCAR did employ anticompetitive acts, then they have to decide on how much money to give the teams. The economist says it should be $215.8 million for 23XI and $148.9 for FRM.
Will they really give billionaire like Jordan than much? Will they give Jenkins, the owner of hundreds of fast-food restaurants, that much? Or will they be like, “Yeah, NASCAR has been unfair but you are racing because you love racing and have you truly been injured with all that fancy math of your economist?”
The true impact still could very well come down to the judge, who would be the one to determine any antitrust remedies if the teams win. The judge decides whether NASCAR sells the tracks, gets rid of charters, gets rid of the Next Gen car, gets rid of exclusivity clauses — anything (or combination of things) he views as a way to break up the monopoly. That could mean things neither side wants, although they could then settle that on appeal.
Yes, an appeal. The winner is only winning the first half. There will be appeals.
It’s time to start the second quarter with NASCAR presenting its case. It’s going to need a strong one to be convincing. They don’t need a half-court short, but they do need a well-executed play against a strong opponent.
Bob Pockrass covers NASCAR and INDYCAR for FOX Sports. He has spent decades covering motorsports, including over 30 Daytona 500s, with stints at ESPN, Sporting News, NASCAR Scene magazine and The (Daytona Beach) News-Journal. Follow him on Twitter @bobpockrass.
WILDE Protein Snacks, a healthy snack option crafted from real ingredients, will join JR Motorsports as a multi-race primary sponsor during the 2026 NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series campaign.
The popular brand will be partnered with Carson Kvapil, a second-year driver in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, for three events, starting at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on March 14. WILDE’s sponsorship program will continue with primaries at both Indianapolis Motor Speedway (July 25) and World Wide Technology Raceway (September 12).
In addition to the brand’s multi-race primary sponsorship of Kvapil, WILDE will also serve as an associate sponsor for Rajah Caruth on board the No. 88 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet in 23 events for the coming season.
“I am so grateful to have the support of WILDE as we head into 2026,” said Carson Kvapil. “The team and I are putting in a lot of work over the off-season to come back stronger than ever, and we are ready to embody the WILDE brand both on and off the track and get them up front and battling for some wins.”
Jason Wright, the founder of WILDE Protein Snacks, was determined to find a healthier option to beat the craving for salty, crunchy, comforting potato chips when he had the idea to combine chicken breast, egg whites, bone broth, and a custom seasoning blend.
As of today, WILDE owns and operates its own manufacturing facility in Kentucky, which is the only USDA chip manufacturing facility in the world. WILDE products can be found in most grocery stores, as well as Target and Costco, offered in multiple popular flavors.
“Partnering with JR Motorsports is an incredible moment for WILDE,” said Jason Wright, CEO of WILDE. “We built this brand to fuel people with real ingredients and bold flavor, and there’s no better place to showcase that than on the track. Supporting Carson Kvapil and Rajah Caruth throughout the season gives us an exciting platform to connect with fans who share our passion for performance, grit, and pushing boundaries.”
Carson Kvapil will run full-time in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series in 2026, although it won’t be in just a single entry. The son of NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series champion Travis Kvapil will split time in the No. 1 Chevrolet at JR Motorsports with Rodney Childers as crew chief, before running the remainder of the campaign in a JR Motorsports-supported entry.
Kvapil and WILDE Protein Snacks will take the green flag at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Saturday, March 14 at 5:30 PM ET on The CW, PRN, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.
“NASCAR must acknowledge the current model is unsustainable”
23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports are suing NASCAR in an antitrust trial. The two sides have been in court for over a week.
The court has already ruled that NASCAR has a monopoly on stock car racing. Now, the teams are looking to prove that NASCAR used anti-competitive practices to build that monopoly.
NASCAR lawsuit opened by 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports
In April 2024, Rick Hendrick wrote a letter to NASCAR CEO Jim France as teams were negotiating with NASCAR regarding the upcoming charter agreement. That letter has surfaced it court and it reveals new financial information regarding one of the biggest and most successful teams in all of auto racing.
During negotiations, one of the things teams were aiming for was a larger piece of the TV revenue. They also requested that the charter system become permanent.
As of 2024, Hendrick Motorsports won two NASCAR Cup Series championships in a five-year period between Kyle Larson and Chase Elliott. (Note: Larson also won the 2025 championship but 2025 financials were not included pre-dating this 2024 letter.)
Despite winning two of the five championships in that five-year span, Hendrick Motorsports lost $20M. That is a shocking revelation.
Rick Hendrick’s letter to Jim France
“Thank you for reaching out. I hope you and your family are doing well,” Rick Hendrick opened in the letter to Jim France.
“I believe we agree it’s critical for Hendrick Motorsports and all teams to establish a Charter agreement that’s fair and ensures a collaborative and prosperous structure for NASCAR, its stakeholders and the industry as a whole. This is an incredibly exciting time. The sport has great momentum, and we now have an opportunity to make even more progress if we choose to embrace it.”
“The alternative is something none of us want, but I’m afraid we’ve reached a breaking point.”
“You and I have become good friends. I have tremendous respect for you and truly value our personal relationship. In turn, I understand you must prioritize business and the best interests of your company, your family and your employees. But for the sake of transparency, I want to share my dismay at the state of these negotiations and the ineffective process we’ve endured over the last two years. Both sides have wasted a tremendous amount of time and resources, and we find ourselves at an unnecessary impasse.”
Jeremy Mayfield knocks NASCAR after leaked messages
Hendrick Motorsports Financials
“I’d also like to take this opportunity to share some facts. Over the past five years, Hendrick Motorsports has won two NASCAR Cup Series championships – and lost $20 million. I’d be happy to show you audited financial statements. I love this sport, and my passion for it keeps me engaged, but there’s a clear business reality. Before we can possibly reach an agreement, NASCAR must acknowledge the current model is unsustainable for teams and cannot continue without substantive, fundamental change.”
“Hendrick Motorsports has helped grow the sport. For example, Ally is one of the few full-time primary sponsors and, because of our relationship, has now become one of your official NASCAR partners. They also spend well over $1 million annually with FOX and NBC. We brought NAPA Auto Parts back into NASCAR after they were thoroughly embarrassed and elected to leave. My own company spend more than $20 million per year in sponsorship and advertising with NASCAR’s broadcast partners.”
“To allow our racing programs to operate, Hendrick Automotive Group did $1 billion in business with Hendrick Motorsports sponsors in 2023, including:
– “Ally: 22,000 loan originations ($951 million in retail paper)”
– “UniFirst: 24,000 uniforms leased ($4 million)”
– “Axalta: 33,000 gallons of Axalta paint used ($8.5 million purchased)”
– “Valvoline: 887,000 gallons of oil poured”
– “NAPA: 1.2 million parts purchased ($9 million)”
“The list of brands that have engaged with NASCAR because of Hendrick Motorsports is long. We have invested in building star drivers and have promoted the sport as much as anyone over the last four decades. Our organization and our partners direct tens of millions back to your company in the form of luxury suite rentals and other track activation costs.”
Rick Hendrick looks to make team ownership healthy
“But the message I continue to hear from NASCAR is that the teams bring no value, our rights are worthless and we don’t know how to run a viable business.”
“To be made to feel that my family’s investments and sacrifices are not appreciated, valued or respected by NASCAR is disappointing. To put it mildly. To be asked to consider a lesser deal, as your most recent proposal suggests, is a slap in the face. I will not agree to it.”
“Jim, your family has built an incredible legacy over the past 76 years, and I know it’s vitally important to you that it continue to grow and be successful long after we’re both gone. Having invested in building Hendrick Motorsports for 40 of those years, I feel exactly the same way. At this point in my life, I’m focused on ensuring that our company is around for the next 40 years. Jeff Gordon love the sport. So does my son-in-law Marshall Carlson, my grandson and the rest of my family. I want to see them carry it on far into the future. I owe it to my family, my employees and their families to do everything in my power to secure that future.”
“I understand it’s your preference to meet with teams individually, but I urge you to personally come to the table and work together with us. The teams agree on the core issues and are committed to seeing this through. We are presenting reasonable, common-sense ideas that will allow us to build long-term value, encourage future investment by teams, attract new ownership to the sport, and grow the pie for everyone, including NASCAR. Notable, the proposals also do not ask you to take a step back financially.”
“Our negotiation is about survival for the teams but it’s also about wiping the slate clear and creating a truly collaborative structure that will propel NASCAR to even greater heights. In my heart, I know there is a win-win solution that will allow all of us to thrive for many more years. If I’ve learned anything in my time in business, it’s that we’ll always be better by coming together. We have that opportunity right now.”
NASCAR team owner says he’s lost $100M in the sport
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